DC Comics Rebirth
is supposed to be a two-year storyline that goes across the entire line of
publications.
Wrap that around
your head. A two-year storyline. Going across the entire catalog of
publications.
Seriously, a two-year
storyline? During a period when comic fans have said they’ve had enough of mega
crossovers?
WTF?
Again, Why hasn’t
Dan Didio and his editorial gang of four been fired already?
Rob Liefeld asked
on Twitter what Dan Dido’s marker is in comics. The answer to that question is
simple: Destroying the DC Comics brand. That’s going to be his legacy. Being the
man who drove the number two comic book company into the ground with his top
down micromanagement and inept leadership.
Sorry, but
customers and comic shop owners today are NOT going to sit through a two-year
storyline. Especially after all they’ve been through with DC. After five years
of promises, promises and more promises that the New 52, Convergence and DC You
would pay off, they’ve had enough.
In the publishing
business you have ONE chance to make a first impression on readers. If you
can’t grab the customer with ONE story, you have FAILED. If that ONE story does
not excite the reader, they don’t buy any more books. Simple as that.
And DC Comics
hasn’t been able to produce that ONE book to grab the reader and draw them into
the DC Universe for close to fifteen ears. Five years since the launch of Dan
Dido’s New 52 Universe and quality of DC’s products have gotten WORSE instead
of better.
But Dan Didio’s
solution to fixing the DC Universe is doing more of the same and expecting a
different result. The rest of the world calls this insanity, but it’s business
as usual at Warner Brothers.
Here’s a solution
for Warner Brothers Executives haven’t thought of: Fire Dan Didio, Diane
Nelson, Jim Lee and Bob Harras and Goeff Johns and see if things will get
better.
If all the all the
failures keep coming from the same people, then maybe those people are the
problem.
What makes this
Rebirth storyline ridiculous from a business perspective is the fact that
they’ve just given comic fans the incentive NOT to buy it from day one. A two
year-storyline is just not competitive in an age where comics compete with TV shows,
movies, and the internet programs based on comics for entertainment dollars. By
the time Rebirth is over Supergirl will be finished with Season 3, The Flash
will be finished with Season 5, and with the way things are going, Arrow will
just be finished.
And that’s just
DC’s own TV shows. Factor in Marvel Studios Netflix shows like Daredevil, Cage,
Jessica Jones where people can binge watch and it you start to see what a
disaster this plan is. And when you factor in and Marvel Studios Phase 3 Movies
like Avengers 2-part Infinity War movies over the next two years and you really
start seeing other options for their entertainment dollars over DC Comics.
In this information
age time is a precious commodity. And no one is going to waste time waiting for
Geoff Johns magnum opus to finish at DC Comics when they have a whole host of
other options that finish up before it. The way I see it, Dan Didio is setting
up Goeff Johns to take the fall for a disaster so epic he’ll wish his name was
Chris Claremont. Then point the finger at him when everything fails. A classic
Mangina trap, but Johns isn’t smart enough to see it. He’s too busy trying to
play head writer of a TV show at comic books publisher.
There’s no payoff
coming in the aftermath of Rebirth, just another Didio screwjob.
The way I see it, telling frustrated
readers that the storyline is going to be two years long on day one gives them
more incentive to move on from the DC Comics brand. Now that they see DC Comics
is just not going to change, they can go out and start reading many of the
great indie comics out there or indie fantasy like my Isis series. By the time
DC’s Rebirth is over, a reader could have finished every Isis series book, and
be up to date on the current storylines. Every Isis series story wraps up in
one volume, and every story is an entry point like oldschool comics used to be.
DC Comics Rebirth
was DC’s last chance with comic fans to get their shit together. And instead of
making things right, Dan Didio screws over comic fans yet again. Now I can
honestly say that these are the last days for DC Comics. You can call in the
undertaker in now, DC Comics is now ready to reserve its plot right next to
Charlton’s in the comic publisher graveyard.
Great post Shawn, and so true. From my own experience, I can say a big reason why I walked away from modern comics and the big two were the endless crossovers. I have never liked company wide crossover events, even going back to Crisis on Infinite Earths. Nothing DC has done is going to woo me back, and I can't see the 18 to 24 crowd that they are so desperate to attract being impressed either. What will save them is to tell good stories, that are done in one issue, for an all ages market. If they don't, the next crisis DC is going to have is a financial one.
ReplyDeleteThe 18 to 24 crowd has moved past comics. But DC doesn't understand this. The only thing that'll woo comic readers back are good stories. Unfortunately, DIdio doesn't understand this. He keeps thinking that crossovers are going to sell readers, but it's not gonna happen.
DeleteStandalone stories have a tendency to do this. But DC seems to have less of this.
DeleteAnd I'm still working with the theory that these reboots, and relaunches are just a way for Dan Didio and Co to snowball the Warner Brothers exec into believing that there is nothing wrong at DC comics. Look at the numbers that the Rebirth relaunch has gotten, I'm sure Didio will say. To borrow a movie analogy, I'm have no doubt that Rebirth will have a great opening weekend, and then bomb, as there is no return audience. I wonder if they are still trying to push that whole 52 titles thing, too (me shaking my head in disbelief).
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot wrong with DC and after the first month of strong sales the same sales decline will happen. But no one looks at the big picture.
DeleteWell, coming from John here, so far Action Comics and Superman are already selling less in their first issues then the first Action Comics and Superman sold for New 52. The other titles' first Rebirth issues are selling more than their New 52 counterparts. Something is already showing a hiccup in Rebirth.
ReplyDeleteWell, so far DC maintains that they are good, because they release #1s in phases. Comics aren't going anywhere until the generations that buy most of themy die off. Even then, the toys and movies are a business of their own, AFAIK
ReplyDelete